Given the tension in Darwin today over inequality, identity, greed, Corporate and foreign influence over politics, regressive taxation, regulations etc.
It is worth noting that these issues are not new. The recent extremes of corporate and foreign power over our politicians and the inequitable profiteering juxtaposed with high unemployment, high under-employment and stagnant wages are just symptoms of a larger scheme.
Now remember when ever you hear the words Scheme, in commercial circles we call it a scam. It means somebody is getting a payout, historically a scheme means that public funds are going to be funnelled into private hands.
Our local bureaucracy and most of our politicians are not economic savants nor are they educationally brilliant, I have met many. We are currently being lead by a government and bureaucracy focused on ignorance and fear, their own. With a really high unemployment rate you can guess why they are scared.
The local government has an image problem, the culture is regressive and intimidating and the amount of power wielded is substantial. But many in the community feel as though the inmates are running the asylum.
Now lets be clear the council has very little power and only a smidgen of influence over the current bureaucracy. Changes to policies seem as though they were written by a state government hack, with independent committee's, commercial interest groups and the like. I have quite a bit of experience with this, basically its about creating distractions through special interest groups in order to maintain the status quo.
In business we call it treading water and it is normally something done prior to a collapse or historically in commercial entities its about stripping the assets and socializing the loss whilst syphoning the profit into bonuses or buying cars in the company name then driving off with them. It sound illegal, corrupt and immoral right? Sorry to say, this type of thing happens everyday in Australia and is known as justifying a fiduciary duty to ensure that share holders, companies etc are run as profitable as possible, morals have no place in business.
Many community issues are being deliberately forwarded to a recently created Civil administration tribunal which in essence is a non compulsory mediation ceremony created because the judges and magistrates were so frustrated at using their vast knowledge and judging skills on fencing, rubbish and rental disputes.
Instead our esteemed magistrates and judges wanted to use their vast lack of experience in social and societal psychology and make judgments on emotional dysfunction instead, more often than not using incarceration, trespass and banishment as tools to deal with a lack of education, emotional support and isolation ie. ignorance and fear.
However when dealing with somebody that has clear and easily recognizable mental health issues instead of referring the client/offender/victim to mental health care and services, they generally incarcerate them.
I feel so honored (Sarcasm) to live in a society whereby a man basically in drag with a wig tells people that they have the power. The power to infringe on their rights without a democratic process and without proven induction in the society, and because they have memorized passages in a text, and have public speaking experience.
So lets make a clear and in my opinion, accurate statement, the systems, are broken. I know many that work in the system who have advocated that they are damaged or dented that changes are coming. That with strong leadership and blah, blah, blah, change will come.
I am a student of history and what generally happens is that when people feel isolated and disengaged with the community, they lash out.
The situation in my opinion is psychological and I'm no psychologist but I know people. The systems all fail because of people but through the use of emotional education and intelligence they can all be made to work better if not then be changed.
Now How do you solve that?
Well the Territory and Darwin in Particular has some extremely well motivated and intelligent educators that know and have a plan on how to do it. The problems are inter-generational and the solutions are going to take at least a generation to implement before we will see dramatic change. Don't think that there won't be change almost immediately however. Because for some, those that have the internal leverage and want to change will change over-night.
Phil Walcott and several others have created 20 year and learn4life education systems that start with the implementation of emotional intelligence and emotional education. Each of these systems that I have only had minor exposure to, educate the emotional mind in such a way that it reduces stress (thinking primarily of what happened in the past), reduces anxiety (thinking primarily of what you have to do in the future) and encourages NOW thinking (being present and engaging with the community and yourself in the moment).
It is through this type of emotional intelligence and the education to enhance it that we as a society can recognize and implement changes in real time on a multitude of issues at once. If we learn to think differently, with reduced fear, then we are able to follow the rules and create new ones that enhance the community as a whole.
There is in my opinion only one way to defeat fear and ignorance that leads to many of the problems we are experiencing today, it is education and compassion.
It is not hard, you do not have to be hyper intelligent to implement it. You don't have to do a university course, in fact the lessons can be taught in early learning and just re-enforced over time.
Now imagine how much you could achieve without fear....... Imagine how wonderful your child's life would be if they could act without fear.......
Imagine a better Darwin, a better place to live, play and achieve, it doesn't have to be a dream. It can be our vision. Lets make it happen.
Note : Written and Authorized by Sam Wilks. The views included may not be those of others mentioned in the article but are those of Sam Wilks. If you have other idea’s feel free to comment below. Idea’s and differing opinion is recognition of a free and just democratic society. A Society I am happy to live in. Please however try not to be abusive or discriminate, you may be. But if I feel that your opinion may be harmful or is reported as being harmful, I will delete it. Sam Wilks 0402 152 929 PO Box 40441 Casuarina NT 0810 sam4richardson@gmail.com